About

marijuana

﻿Patricia Chin
ENG 101/29
Prof. Gains
05/09/2013
Is It Worth It?Should medical marijuana be made legal? There are many people who overlook the beneficial effects of marijuana. Society today would say that it is just a gateway drug that is only abused, but in reality marijuana is just misunderstood. There are many good uses that we can gain from this natural plant. Marijuana could be beneficial to the body, if used properly. There are countless legal proscription drugs and non-proscription drugs that are by far more dangerous than marijuana. Lastly, America is wasting too much money on outlawing marijuana. Therefore under many circumstances medicinal marijuana should be made legal in all of the United States (U.S.) for medical purposes.

Medicinal marijuana should be legalized in America because of its many health benefits. It is proven that medicinal marijuana can improve the effects of medical conditions such as cancer and psychiatric disorders. It is also proven that marijuana can even improve the horrible effects of AIDS. For example, The Institute of Medicine, (IOM), concluded that the THC in marijuana can be effective for pain relief, and appetite stimulation in AIDS patients. Also in the article marijuana can control chemotherapy related nausea and vomiting in cancer patients. Marijuana can improve moods and reduce anxiety, so therefore it acts as a sedative for people with psychiatric disorders. The THC in marijuana is highly effective and in demand in the medical field.

Cigarettes are one of the many substances that are legal, but still bad for users the side effects of cigarettes far worse than marijuana. Cigarettes contain nicotine; nicotine may harden the arteries and may be responsible for much of the heart disease caused by tobacco. In the article 35 isn’t smoking marijuana worse for you than smoking cigarettes it said “New research has found that it may also cause a lot of the cancer in tobacco smokers and people who live or work where...

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...CON OF LEGALIZING MARIJUANA
The right to legalize marijuana has been around for a long time. As the years passed people have brought back the issue of legalizing marijuana. And for this reason is why people are taking action to oppose the legalization of marijuana. Marijuana should not be legalized. Marijuana should not be legalized because of its physical effects, financial problems, and government issues.
First of all, marijuana should not be legalized because of the physical effects. The use of marijuana affects the person by causing “impairment of short-term memory, logical thinking, hallucinations, energy loss, toxic effect on brain nerve cells, risk of chronic bronchitis, impaired immune system, and etc”. Because of these of effects many people should know why they shouldn’t smoke marijuana. And by not legalizing marijuana many people don’t have to worry about these effects.
Second, marijuana should not be legalized because it causes financial problems. By smoking marijuana many people would end up buying marijuana instead of their needs. For example, people would rather buy marijuana instead of buying food for their family. Since people who smoke marijuana, they have a craving for it. And if marijuana were not legalized, less...

...illegal drugs including marijuana, but while researching this topic, I have learned a lot about some of the positives of legalizing marijuana use. Considering it is classified as an illegal controlled substance, I have always been under the assumption that marijuana was bad for people, no matter what my friends may have said about how good it was. I was peer pressured into trying it when I was fourteen. I knew right away that it was not for me. It made me pass out and sick to my stomach when I woke up. That reiterated my assumption that it was bad for people. I did not understand how people could like it. I figured other people must not have had the same reaction as I did after smoking it. No matter what my opinion is, I will give both the positives and negatives of legalizing it.
Many Americans believe that marijuana is harmless and many want it legalized. Some states have already legalized the medical use of marijuana. They are Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, DC, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington (ProCon.org). Colorado and Washington have also legalized it for recreational use (Governing).
Marijuana is a common recreational drug. "The National Institute on Drug Abuse says marijuana is the most commonly used...

...﻿Martin Torrijos
Mr. Fontenot
English 104-401
October 28, 2013
Marijuana Legalization
The legalization of marijuana has been a heated topic of debate for many years. In 1937, the United Sates of America passed the Marijuana Tax Act, which made transfer or possession of cannabis (marijuana plant) illegal throughout the US under federal law. Studies conducted throughout the years have proven that cannabis can be utilized as a medical supplement. In fact 20, states and the District of Columbia have passed laws to legalize marijuana under certain medical conditions. According to the White House, it is the most commonly used recreational drug in the United States. It has been proven to be less harmful than alcohol, which is currently legal; and prohibition caused a black market to arise leading to an increase in an organized criminal activity. The fight against those organizations is costing a great amount of money and was cause for the loss of many innocent. While there are strong arguments in support of prohibition there are stronger arguments in support of the legalization if marijuana than there are counterarguments to keep the substance illegal.
When comparing the Alcohol Prohibition in the 1920s and compare that situation with the current situation with the legal status of marihuana, we cans ee that a repetition of history is occurring. According to Douglas McVoy, at...

...Recreational Marijuana Legalization
Marijuana legalization is a unique issue currently gaining momentum in America. Over 25 million Americans have used marijuana in the past year, 100 million have tried the drug at least once, and 14 million use regularly (“About Marijuana”). The growth, sale, possession, and consumption of marijuana for any reason are against federal law. Two states, Colorado and Washington, have legalized recreational marijuana use for adults over the age of 21, and sixteen additional states and Washington D. C. have legalized medical marijuana (“Pot Legalization Could Save”). However, all of these states are acting illegally according to federal law. Marijuana legalization is a complex issue that could upend cultural tradition, affect the economy, potentially affect crime and individual health, and challenge the balance of state and federal powers. The government’s purpose as stated in the Preamble of the Constitution is “to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty…”. The constitutionality of marijuana criminalization thus depends on its effectiveness in promoting these goals. Three central areas to consider in the debate for or against legalization are the medical risks, the social effects, and the...

...The Legalization of Marijuana
Thesis Statement: The legalization of marijuana in the United States would create a drastic change by forming a more productive society through all of the positive uses of cannabis, physically, economically, and socially.
I. Examination of the plant
A. The other common names—hemp, cannabis, bud, and weed
B. Society’s views on the plant are very stereotypical
1. Known as harmful, deathly, and hazardous
2. It is said that one’s attitude can be alarming and harmful to others
C. Marijuana can be consumed in baked goods, vaporized, or even brewed
1. Brownies can be cooked with marijuana
2. Tea or coffee can be brewed with the plant
D. THC is the main chemical
1. The amount can be regulated
2. It determines the strength of the high
E. Marijuana has been proved to help and cure many diseases and health problems
1. Glaucoma, epilepsy, arthritis, chronic pain, and depression can be cured and prevented with the use of marijuana
2. Marijuana can even help one with aids
II. Past legality in the United States
A. At one point in time, it was 100% legal
1. It was one of the largest agricultural crops in the world
2. The first law to exist in the U.S. was a law demanding the U.S. farmers to grow hemp
B. In 1920, cannabis, hemp, and marijuana became illegal
1. It remained illegal until World War II
2. In 1948, all forms of...

...Why Not to Legalize Marijuana
Marjorie Fleuridor
ENG/102
March 10, 2013
Professor Laura Barnes
Marijuana is one of the best known drugs that have been widely consumed throughout history which today raises a concerned eyebrow. Those who are advocates consider marijuana a harmless and beneficial substance because of its claimed value in treating symptoms of serious illness or diseases and Jeffrey Miron, a professor of economics at Harvard University in the following viewpoint believes that, “Legalizing illicit drugs would generate billions in tax revenue” (Forbes, 2012 pp.1-1). Just as any drug, marijuana may bring some type of relief with its use, but it also poses risk which in the end poses threat to the economy because of its affects to the human body, open doors to addiction, and worse, harms the youth which is not worth the added benefits for the few legitimate users to make acceptable.
Marijuana, which is also referred to as pot, weed, cannabis, refer, and Mary Jane to name a few, is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the U.S. as well as around the world which comes from the stems, seeds, leaves, and flowers of the hemp plant, which is also known as cannabis. Most individuals use the plant by either smoking it or mixing it into food because it is an all-natural substance. Registered nurse Mary Lynn Mathre states, “The cannabis plant (marijuana) has...

...Legalization of Marijuana
Should marijuana be legal? This question has been discussed, reviewed, and studied by millions of people around the United States and yet a definitive answer still remains to be found. I, myself have used marijuana before, but do not anymore and will never again. I have studied this topic in depth and will present to you scientific evidence that shows the effects this drug will have on society if legalized. There are many pros and cons that stem from this controversial drug so we must find a way to regulate it properly.
Marijuana is still considered a Schedule 1 controlled substance in the United States next to LSD, Cocaine, and many other lethal substances; yet, recent studies indicate that marijuana is chemically different from these other drugs in terms of addictive properties. Another principal argument is that alcohol is far more damaging to its users then marijuana. Researchers at the Imperial College of London looked at the physical, psychological, and social harms of both cannabis and alcohol when compared. A comprehensive paper was put together from these stunning results. The study determined that marijuana can have some negative long term effects on the lungs and circulatory systems, but in contrast, alcohol was described as “a toxic substance responsible for almost five percent of the total global disease burden” (Weissenborn...

...Should We End Marijuana Prohibition?
Paula J. Telisczak
March 4, 2012
Introduction to Ethics and Social Responsibility
Safiyyah- Al Amin
The subject of legalizing marijuana or keeping illegal has been an ongoing debate
for some 40 years. America is getting closer to having the ban on the “devil weed” lifted,
with approximately eight states now allowing marijuana for medicinal purposes. While
the use of marijuana has been connected to a rise in criminal activity in some communities,
marijuana is not the harmful drug everyone thinks it is. It has been found to be a myth that
marijuana is a gateway drug, or a stepping-stone to harder more dangerous drugs. The war
on drugs is really a war on marijuana.
In my opinion, the legalization of marijuana falls under the ethical theory of virtue
ethics, which is described as the ethical theory that evaluates the morality of a person doing a
certain act. Smoking marijuana is considered by many to be just plain wrong. There are
arguments for both sides. Some say, those that smoke pot are doing so under informed consent,
those are aware of the possible legal ramifications if they were to be caught. Others say that
smoking pot will, without a doubt lead to the use of harder dangerous substance abuse.
Marijuana laws are based on falsehoods, misinformation and just plain...